The Ganga Utsav 2020, a festival that celebrates the National river of India, the Ganga, has recently begun. The Ganga was declared as the National River of India on the 4th of November, 2008.
The Ganga Utsav
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the implementation wing of National Ganga Council set up in 2016, organizes Ganga Utsav every year. It replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NRGBA). The festival is a three-day event meant to increase stakeholder engagement and public participation.
The celebration honors the mystic and cultural river Ganga. This festival features multiple activities such as storytelling, folklore sessions, engaging dialogues with prominent personalities, quizzes, and showcases of traditional art forms. There are also dance and music performances by renowned artists, photo galleries, and exhibitions.
Programmes Held During the Festival
Various programmes were held during the festival. The Ganga Task Force (GTF) undertook an afforestation drive involving National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and organized an educational tour for the youth. The GTF, a unit of ex-servicemen deployed in the service of Ganga, was approved by the Ministry of Defence to operate until December 2020.
The Mini Ganga Quest, aimed at raising environmental awareness among students and explaining their role in conservation, was another notable event. The Ganga Quest, a pan-India bilingual quiz, is an initiative to increase public participation in the Namami Gange program.
Suggestions were also gathered on innovative ways in which the Namami Gange programme can engage in activities throughout the year. Launched in 2014, the Namami Gange Programme is geared towards the twin objectives of effective pollution abatement, and conservation and rejuvenation of Ganga.
Government Initiatives on River Ganga
Various government initiatives have been launched to protect the Ganga. The Ganga Action Plan was the first river action plan initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985 to improve the water quality via interception, diversion, and treatment of domestic sewage. The National River Ganga Basin Authority was established by the Government of India in 2009 under Section-3 of the Environment Protection Act 1986 for the purpose of cleaning the Ganga.
The Clean Ganga Fund was formed in 2014 aimed at cleaning up the Ganga, setting up waste treatment plants, and conserving the biotic diversity of the river. In 2017, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) enacted a ban on waste disposal in the Ganga.
River Ganga
The Ganga is India’s longest river, flowing over 2,510 km of mountains, valleys, and plains. It is revered as the most sacred river by Hindus. Originating from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas as the Bhagirathi River, it is later joined by other rivers such as the Alaknanda, Yamuna, Son, Gumti, Kosi, and Ghagra.
The Ganga River Basin is among the world’s most fertile and densely populated regions, covering an area of 1,000,000 sq. km. The Ganges River Dolphin, an endangered species, specifically inhabits this river. Finally, the Ganga fans out into the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans swamp before it drains into the Bay of Bengal.
